Celebrities’ lives have always been seen as fair game, and people, especially paparazzi, are used to violating their privacy. But some celebrities have decided that enough is enough.
Recently, a wave of celebrities have decided that the violating nature of people’s interest in their lives is not okay. For instance, Chappell Roan, a singer who recently skyrocketed to fame over the past year, has spoken out about disrespect she has experienced from paparazzi. On the red carpet of the VMAs ceremony Roan confronted a photographer that supposedly told her to “Shut the f–k up.” Roan replied,““You shut the f–k up,” Roan yelled again, pointing her long metallic fingernail at an unseen and still unidentified person. “No. Not me, b—-h”( The Rolling Stone).
Celebrities experience a lot of anxiety surrounding interactions with fans and even stalkers. Billie Ellish’s song, “THE DINER”, highlights her experience with a stalker and the anxiety that she felt surrounding that experience. She sings the song from the perspective of the stalker, singing lyrics like,
“I’m here around the clock
I’m waitin’ on your block
But please don’t call the cops
They’ll make me stop
And I just wanna talk”
(Spotify)
Also in the song “Noid” by Tyler the Creator, he highlights the stress that stardom causes and the constant feeling of paranoia that someone is watching.
“I can’t even buy a home in private
Home invasions got my brothers dyin’
Notice every car that’s drivin’ by
I think my neighbors want me dead
I got a cannon underneath the bed
Triple checkin’ if I locked the door
I know every creak that’s in the floor”
(Spotify)
Even as early as the song “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell, the paranoid feeling that celebrities get has been highlighted in the music industry. This also shows that this type of celebrity paranoia is not a new feeling.
“I always feel like somebody’s watching me
And I have no privacy (oh oh oh)
When I come at night I bang the door real tight
When I’m in the shower I’m afraid to wash my hair
Cause I might open my eyes and find someone standing there!”
(Spotify)
Why is it seen as a faux pas that celebrities stick up for themselves?
Many people believe that celebrities are another tier of society that makes them virtually inhuman, and therefore fans are able to do whatever they want. People can become obsessive and blur the line between acceptable social norms and stalking.
However, it’s not just everyday people that are crossing the line, paparazzi also push the boundaries and violate celebrities’ private lives. Celebrities are constantly on edge, and cannot enjoy vacations or days off because they are often being followed.
What kind of culture are we creating where people have to accept that they can never have a private life in order to follow their dreams?
